Band-guiding mechanism



May 25, 1965 J. R. AMBRusTER 3,185,404

BAND-GUIDING MECHANISM Filed April 23, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.JOSEPH R. AMBRUS TER Attorney May 25 l965 J. R. AMBRusTER 3,185,404

BAND-GUIDING MECHANISM Filed April 23, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lAttorneyUnited States Patent 3,185,404 BAND-GUIDING MECHANISM Joseph R.Ambruster, Middletown Township, Bucks County, Pa., assignor to UnitedStates Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 23,1963, Ser. No. 275,110 Claims. (Cl. 242--79) This invention relates toan improved mechanism for guiding bands as they are applied to coils ofstrip material.

In a conventional strip processing line, the strip is coiled on atension reel at the exit end of the line. A coil car carries finishedcoils from the reel to a ram tractor or a C-hook crane. Before one ofthe latter devices picks up a coil, a band must be fastened around thecoil circumference to hold the loose end. The usual practice is to applythe band before the coil is taken from the reel or while it is on thecoil car. In either event the banding operation causes delays, since thereel or the car is unavailable for handling other coils. The problem ismost acute in a slitting line in which a single coil is slit lengthwiseto form multiples, since each multiple must be banded individually.

An object of the present invention is to provide a guide mechanism whichsupports finished coils received from a coil car while bands areapplied, thus freeing both the coil car and reel for handling othercoils.

A more specific object is to provide a guide mechanism which includes afixed support of a configuration to receive coils from a coil car, andcooperating slide movable into the support beneath coils thereon, saidsupport and slide having aligned grooves for receiving bands and guidingthem around the coil circumference.

In accomplishinglthese and other objects of the invention, I haveprovided improved details of structure, a preferred form of which isshown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partly diagrammatic top plan view of the exit end portionof a strip processing line equipped with my improved guide mechanism;

FIGURE 2 is a cross section on a larger scale on line lI-II of FIGURE l;and

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section on line III-III of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE l shows a conventional tension reel on which coils C of stripmaterial are wound. A conventional coil car 12 (FIGURES 2 and 3) travelson rails 13 which are located within a pit 14 and extend in a directionparallel with the reel axis. The coil car includes a vertically movablecoil-supporting platen 15. The back end of pit 14 has a shallowextension 16, the side Walls of which carry opposed angle irons 17. Theusual cover plate 18 is lixed to the back end of car 12 and slidablyrests on the angle irons 17. A floor plate 19 is fixed over the pitextension 16. A guide mechanism 20 constructed in accordance with myinvention is located over the pit spaced horizontally from reel 10. Car12 takes finished coils from the reel, carries them horizontally andlowers them, and delivers them to my guide mechanism.

My guide mechanism includes a plate 21 of U-shape in plan fixed to thefloor at opposite sides of pit 14 and forming a continuation of the oorplate 19. Plate 21 has an opening 22 in the end facing reel 10. Theopposed inside edges of plate 21 are beveled and carry fillers 23,preferably welded thereto (FIGURE 2). The llers carry opposed guides 24,the upper faces of which have a series of spaced grooves 25. The insidewalls of pit 14 and its extension 16 carry a second pair of opposedangle irons 26 above the first pair 17. Angle irons 26 support acooperating slide 27 which carries a pedestal 28. The upper face of thepedestal is concave and has 3,185,404 Patented May 25, 1965 ICC a seriesof grooves 29, the spacing of which matches the spacing of grooves 25. Apair of transverse beams 30 span the pit extension 16 and support adouble-acting fluid pressure cylinder 31 (FIGURE 3). The latter containsa reciprocable piston and piston rod 32 which is connected to the backend of slide 27 for propelling the slide back and forth.

In operation, I retract slide 27 to a position under the floor plate 19in which it clears the opening 22. The coil car 12 delivers a coil C ormultiples to plate 21, after which its platen 15 is lowered beneath thelevel of plate 21. While coils rest on either the platen or the plate,their own weight retains the loose ends. The coil car is retracted andhence is free to handle other coils. I operate cylinder 31 to projectslide 2'7 to a position under the coil or multiples. In this positionthe concave upper face of pedestal 28 is located immediately under thecoil surface, and grooves 29 therein are aligned with grooves 25 inguides 24. I insert bands as needed through the grooves under the coiland tie the ends of the bands using conventional equipment not shown.The grooves of course accurately guide the bands around the bottom ofthe coil. Thereafter the coil can be picked up and handled in the usualmanner.

From the foregoing description it is seen that my invention affords asimple guide mechanism which facilitates application of bands to coils.The guide mechanism can be installed on existing equipment withoutotherwise altering the structure. Its use frees the tension reel andcoil car for handling other coils while bands are applied, and thuspermits more eicient use of equipment.

While I have shown and described only a single em.

bodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise.Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth butonly by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A guide mechanism comprising a plate of U-shape in plan and having anopening facing one end, the opposed inside edges of said opening beingbeveled, opposed guides supported on said beveled edges and havingaligned transverse grooves in their upper faces, said guides beingadapted to support a coil of strip material between them, a pair ofspaced-apart angle irons xed beneath said plate, a cooperating slidesupported on said angle irons for movement between a position clear ofsaid opening and a position underlying said opening, a fluid pressurecylinder and piston operatively connected with said slide for propellingit between these positions, and a pedestal carried by said slide andhaving a concave upper face which lies immediately under the surface ofa coil supported on said guides when said slide is in its second-namedposition, said last-named face having transverse grooves which arealigned with the grooves in said guides when said slide is in itssecond-named position.

2. In a strip processing line which includes a tension reel rotatable ona horizontal axis, a lloor adjacent said reel having a pit, and a coilcar supported in said pit for horizontal movement in a directionparallel with the axis of said reel and being adapted to take coils fromsaid reel and move them both horizontally and vertically, thecombination therewith of a guide mechanism comprising a pair of spacedapart guides supported on opposite sides of said pit spaced from saidreel and being adapted to receive coils from said car and support thecoils between them, and a cooperating slide movable between a positionclear of said guides and a position underlying said guides, said guidesand slide providing aligned transverse grooves immediately under thesurface of a coil supported on said guides when said slide is in itssecond-named position.

3. In a strip processing line which includes a tension reel rotatable ona horizontal axis, a Hoor adjacent said reel having a pit, and a coilcar supported in said pit for horizontal movement in a directionparallel with the axis of said reel and being adapted to take coils fromsaid reel and move them both horizontally and vertically, thecombination therewith of a guide mechanism comprising a pair ofhorizontally spaced opposed guides supported on opposite sides of saidpit spaced from said reel and having transverse grooves in their upperfaces and being adapted to receive coils from said car and support thecoils between them, a cooperating slide, means within said pitsupporting said slide for movement between a position clear of the spacebetween said guides and a position underlying this space, meansoperatively connected with said slide for propelling it between thesepositions, and a pedestal carried by said slide and having a concaveupper face which lies immediately under the surface of a coil supportedon said guides when said slide is in its second-named position, saidlast-named face having transverse grooves which are aligned with thegrooves in said guides when said slide is in its secondnamed position.

4. In a strip processing line which includes a tension reel rotatable ona horizontal axis, a floor adjacent said reel having a pit, and a coilcar supported in said pit for horizontal movement in a directionparallel with the axis of said reel and being adapted to take coils fromsaid reel and move them both horizontally and vertically, thecombination therewith of a guide mechanism cornprising a plate ofU-shape in plan extending across said pit spaced from said reel andhaving an opening in the end facing said reel, the opposed inside edgesof said plate being beveled, opposed guides supported on said bevelededges and having aligned transverse grooves in their upper faces, saidguides being adapted to receive coils from said car and support thecoils between them, a pair of opposed angle irons xed to opposite sidesof said pit beneath said plate, a cooperating slide supported on saidangle irons for movement between a position clear of said opening and aposition underlying said opening, a Huid pressure cylinder and pistonwithin said pit operatively connected with said slide for propelling itbetween these positions, and a pedestal carried by said slide and havinga concave upper face which lies immediately under the surface of a coilsupported on said guides when said slide is in its second-namedposition, said lastnamed face having transverse grooves which arealigned with the grooves in said guides when said slide is in itssecond-named position.

5. In a strip processing line which includes a tension reel rotatable ona horizontal axis, a floor adjacent said reel having a pit, and a coilcar supported in said pit for horizontal movement in a directionparallel with the axis of said reel and being adapted to take coils fromsaid reel and move them both horizontally and vertically, thecombination therewith of a guide mechanism comprising a pair ofspaced-apart guides supported on opposite sides of said pit spaced fromsaid reel and extending in a direction parallel with the axis of saidreel and being adapted to receive coils from said car and support thecoils between them, and a cooperating slide movable in a directionparallel with the axis of said reel between a position clear of saidguides and out of the path of said car and a position underlying saidguides, said guides and slide providing aligned grooves which extend ina direction transverse to the axis of said reel immediately under thesurface of a coil supported on said guides when said slide is in itssecond-named position.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

2. IN A STRIP PROCESSING LINE WHICH INCLUDES A TENSION REEL ROTATABLE ONA HORIZONTAL AXIS, A FLOOR ADJACENT SAID REEL HAVING A PIT, AND A COILCAR SUPPORTED IN SAID PIT FOR OF SAID REEL AND BEING ADAPTED TO TAKECOILS FROM SAID REEL OF SAID REEL AND BEING ADAPTED TO TAKE COILS FROMSAID REEL AND MOVE THEM BOTH HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY, THECOMBINATION THEREWITH OF A GUIDE MECHANISM COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACEDAPART GUIDES SUPPORTED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PIT SPACED FROM SAIDREEL AND BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE COILS FROM SAID CAR AND SUPPORT THECOILS BETWEEN THEM, AND A COOPERATING SLIDE MOVEMENT BETWEEN A POSITIONCLEAR OF SAID GUIDES AND A POSITION UNDERLYING SAID GUIDES, SAID GUIDESAND SLIDE PROVIDING ALIGNED TRANSVERSE GROOVES IMMEDIATELY UNDER THESURFACE OF A COIL SUPPORTED ON SAID GUIDE WHEN SAID SLIDE IS IN ITSSECOND-NAMED POSITION.